Bipolar Disorder in Children Difficult to Diagnose, Reports the
Harvard Mental Health Letter

BOSTON, April 25, 2007 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- At least
one-third of the time, the symptoms of bipolar disorder first
appear in childhood or adolescence. However, in children, it can be
difficult to distinguish bipolar symptoms from those of other
disorders, notes the May 2007 issue of the Harvard Mental Health
Letter.

Children, especially young children, usually do not show the
adult cycle of distinct mood episodes of mania and depression.
Also, many symptoms that may stem from bipolar disorder also occur
in other childhood disorders: moods fluctuating in very rapid
cycles, sometimes from hour to hour; irritability and agitation; or
bursts of rage. Bipolar disorder in children is especially
difficult to distinguish from ADHD, since they share a number of
symptoms -- impulsiveness, distractibility, and hyperactivity. Up
to 30% of children originally diagnosed with ADHD eventually
receive a diagnosis of bipolar disorder.

Research suggests that some children diagnosed with bipolar
disorder have a different condition, recently labeled "severe mood
dysregulation." Although both conditions involve periodic
irritability and hyperactivity, electrical signals in the brains of
children thought to have severe mood dysregulation are different
from brain signals in children with bipolar disorder.

It is important to treat diagnosed bipolar disorder. In adults,
that means the use of mood stabilizers -- frequently several drugs
in combination. The same drugs are increasingly prescribed for
children. Psychotherapy can also help. "In coming years we are
likely to develop better ways to define the mood problems of
children. Nonetheless, childhood bipolar disorder is a real and
serious illness that should be recognized and treated as early as
possible," says Dr. Michael Miller, editor in chief of the Harvard
Mental Health Letter.

Also in this issue:
-- Thyroid deficiency and mental health
-- Depression in China
-- Williams syndrome in Japan and America
-- Readiness for addiction treatment
-- A doctor discusses: The importance of breakfast for children

The Harvard Mental Health Letter is available from Harvard
Health Publications, the publishing division of Harvard Medical
School, for $59 per year. Subscribe at http://www.health.harvard.edu/mental
or by calling 1-877-649-9457 (toll free).